The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-09-01
Opening the Campaign.

Station, East Baton Rouge parish,
on the 25th ultimo.
Gen. Nichols, Judge E. D. White,
and others, addressed the large as
semblage, and the meeting was
decided success.
From Gen. Nichols speech On the
occasion we make couple of extracts,
and regret that space forbids as to
publish the entire speech.
Referring to the divisions in the
Democratic party, and the causes of
them, Gen Nichols said:
When. by the effect of the consti-
tuition of 1879, I ceased to be Gov
ernor, I believed and intended that
my connection with political life in
so far as the holding of political Office
was concerned, had terminated for
ever. lind myself to-day doing what
I never expected to do-taking part
in political campaign with my name
before the people for nomination.
My object in SO doing is to attempt
to unity and hold together the Dem
ocratic party of Louisiana, which is
now greatly divided and in which I
scarcely recognize the working, &C
tive Democratic party of the past. I
believe its harmony, success and per-
petuation to be essential to the wei
fare of our people, and so believing
I have deemed it my duty to respond
to the wishes of the very many Dem
ocrats of the State who have declared
to me that in their judgment my NOM
ination and election would have a
tendency to attain that result.
I have noticed, for several years
past, the growing dissatisfaction with
the party management and the party
administration of State affairs, and
have sought to trace this dissatisfac-
ton to its source and cause. I find
that there is very general sentiment
among the people that the tone of the
party and of its officials is greatly
below what the Democratic masses
had the right to expect. A general
belief that these officials have many
of them been selected from men who
regard public Offices not as public
trust, but as instrumentalities in and
through which their personal inter-
ests could be subserved, and who
have sought them for that purpose
a general belief exists that whilst
these officials have, to very large
extent, resolved themselves into a
close corporation for the continuance
OF their own individual hold on Office,
they themselves were selected with
reference to the continuance in per-
petual power of those who placed
them in position. I find that there
is general belief that the Democrat
ic party has been divided by the off
Gals OF the State into two absolutely
distinct classes, the one including in
it some OF the purest and best men OF
Louisiana, who are expected on all
occasions to vote with the party and
insure it's success, but are rigidIy ex-
cluded from all participations in its
counsels or its honors, the other a
compact body made up of the personal
political adherents of thepowers that
be, that the Indispensable condition
of admission to this select body is a
blind, absolute, passive obedience to
and support of its chosen heads, that
talent and ability go for nothing
honesty and faithful devoted party
service go for nothing, and that the
wishes of the Democratic parishes
and districts go for nothing. I find
that there is a general belief that the
power of selection for local office has
been frequently turned over in differ.
emit parishes to chosen few and judi.
cious public sentiment in respect
thereto has been thoroughly ignored
l find that the Democratic masses
feel that many laws which have beeu
enacted, the passage of which could
have been prevented, and that many
have failed to pass, which were eyi.
IDENTIFY for the public good.
Now, my fellow-citizens, whether
this belief be well founded or not, II
certainly exists, and the effect of that
belief has been greatly detrimental
to the party in the past, and it's con
tinuance will, in my opinion, be dis
astrous to it in the future. It be-
hooyes all good Democrats to break
this down by change in the leader
ship of and change in the councils
Of the party.
I am opposed strongly to persona
government. I recognize the pro
priety of selecting ones political ad
herents within certain limits, bul
there should be judgment brought te
bear in that matter. The good an6
unity of the party and the wishes Of
Democratic constituencies should be
consulted and Needed. T am opnosar